Sly Cooper and The Thievious Raccoonus novelized book 1
by Patrick131
Summary: A novelized and edited version of the video game Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus. Events will be edited to create a standard novel with many chapters. This particular book will follow the beginning of Sly's quest to recover his family's most prized possession, avenge his father's death, and further carve his name into history.
1. Introduction

Introduction

Cooper….. A name that, when uttered, would strike fear and paranoia into the hearts of the most ruthless and methodical criminals. Throughout history the Coopers, a family of master raccoon thieves, have accomplished some of the greatest heists in history. As a common rule the Coopers only steal from master criminals or other thieves. After all, there's no honor, no challenge, no pleasure in stealing from ordinary people. The coopers built their world renowned reputation by robbing banks, stealing from kings, pilfering pharaohs, and purloining pirates, not sticking up gas stations. Ancient Egypt, Arabia, the Old West, Medieval England, and Feudal Japan, all have bared witness to the thieving mastery of the Cooper family.

Each Cooper had his or her own unique forte and claim to fame within their lifetimes, and since the beginning of written history they have recorded their feats and techniques in one special book, The Thievious Raccoonus. A book passed down from one generation of Cooper to the next, a coming of age of sorts for this family of thieves. That is where our tale begins, the tragic story of Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus.

Please feel free to review, they're wanted and welcomed.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a cool summer's night in Paris, France. All was still except for a lone shadow moving across the rooftops, jumping from building to building and running atop telephone wires and ropes connecting further separated buildings. The shadow belonged to a raccoon, nearly six foot in height with a slender yet muscular build, clad in a blue hat, shirt with a golden collar and cuffs fastened to his waist by a golden belt with a blue raccoon belt buckle, and blue shoes up to his shins. The two things that this shadow visibly carried were a set of odd binoculars on his belt and a hooked cane which he used to grip ropes and hooks just outside his normal grip. The cane was wooden except for the hook, which was made of a golden metal. This was the infamous Cooper cane and the shadow belonged to none other than the even more infamous Sly Cooper.

Sly continued his moonlit rooftop run until he came to a flat topped building with the words "prefecture de police" engraved over its entrance. Sly had arrived at the Paris police station. Sly had arrived at the site of his latest heist. Sly was getting antsy when the binoculars resting on his belt began to vibrate. He put the binoculars up to his eyes and listened to the voice of his childhood friend, Bentley the turtle, in his earpiece.

"Are you sure you can pull this off sly?" Bentley asked through the binocucom, an invention he created, a mix between binoculars and a communication device, "Security is heavy tonight".

"Come on Bentley", Sly said with his usual swagger "I've pulled off bigger jobs in my sleep! Just keep me posted and we'll be out of here with the police report in tow"

"Can't we just research these guys without the report?" pleaded Bentley.

"Bentley I know you're scared but we need this report" Sly stated somberly "It's the only formal report on The Fiendish Five that killed my father and stole the Thievious Raccoonus, without it we're looking blindly on the internet through thousands of knock off groups".

"Yeah I know, I'm just not keen on you willingly going into a police station, a place we kind of make a habit of avoiding, just be careful your visit doesn't become unexpectedly elongated", said Bentley increasingly nervous, "Murray and I will be at the edge of the parking lot ready for the getaway, make sure to hightail it out of there as soon as you've got that police report!"

"Yeah!" came the rather boisterous and excited Murray the Hippo "I'm right behind the wheel so as soon as you're out we'll make the getaway. Oh! Can we get doughnuts when we're done? I'm kind of hungry".

"Calm down guys, there's nothing to worry about here, this is me you're talking to, and we'll see big guy", Sly said confidently.

"I was afraid you were gonna say that", and with that Sly put the binocucom back on his belt and made his way to a ventilation shaft on the top of the roof. He gently removed the cover and slid his frame inside. Sly crawled through the shaft until he came to other opening, rays of light shooting up into the vent. Sly made his way just to the opening when he heard voices, one woman and one man.

"Inspector Fox, are you completely sure that the Fiendish Five are relevant to the Cooper Gang case to which you have been assigned?" asked the male in a gruff French accent.

"Yes, Commissioner Terrance", said the woman in the room in a slight Latin accent, "The Fiendish Five murdered Sly Cooper's father in his youth", hearing that part made Sky clench his teeth and ball his fist around his cane. He wanted that police report. "Assuming that Cooper holds a grudge against them it stands to reason that by tracking them we'll not only take down five notorious crime lords but take down the Cooper Gang while we're at it".

Sly didn't want to hear anymore, it hurt too much, everything he needed was in one file in this very building. He scurried over the opening, but not so quickly that he missed the familiar sight of a beautiful woman named Inspector Carmelita Fox. Carmelita was a fiery police woman that had been tailing Sly for a few years now. Although she proved an inconvenience during many of his jobs Sly enjoyed the company of the lovely Latina lady. She had a strong but beautiful build with orange and cream colored fur, long, curly, blue hair, and a golden loop earing in her left ear. She was wearing her customary uniform, light brown combat boots that came up to her shins, tight blue pants that went into the combat boots with a red belt to hold her handcuffs and her gun, a low cut blue top that began at her upper abdomen, a yellow leather jacket, and yellow gloves. If Sly had to be chased, he was glad it was by her.

Sly kept crawling until he got to a final grate in front of him. He gently removed it and slowly slid his body out of the ventilation system. Sly was out of the vent and lightly landed on the floor in a matter of seconds. He was in an office; the office that Bentley's schematics showed the case file would be in. Sly looked around and saw a safe in the wall. He assumed that's where the cops, paranoid as they were, were keeping the case file. He put his ear to the combination lock safe and began to rotate the dial, listening for the near inaudible click of metal to indicate when to stop. Thirty-six, twenty-six, forty-nine. Sly heard one last, more audible click, gripped the handle, and pulled the safe door open to reveal a single file within. Sly pulled it out and opened it up. This was it. This was the case file on The Fiendish Five. Sly's heart started pounding in his chest as he began talking into his earpiece.

"I've got the report Bentley, I'll be coming down the fire escape and we'll make our getaway".

"Great, please hurry Sly", Bentley pleaded. Sly made his way past the desk and to a window that led to the fire escape and the parking lot below. He had just opened the window and seen the fire escape in front of him and the lot below when the door behind him was slammed open.

"Sly Cooper", hollered Carmelita Fox in the doorway, "I knew I'd cross paths with you sooner or later, I just didn't think you'd do something this stupid". Carmelita then aimed a large orange gun, emblazoned with a police star on either side, right at Sly, "Try to run and I shoot".

"That's a pretty nice gun you've got there, it really brings out your eyes", Sly said with a smile, slowly facing Carmelita and putting his hands up.

"You like it", asked Carmelita, "Police grade shock pistol. It delivers a one hundred volt kick with a five milliamp current, if I hit the right spot my target will be out cold".

"That doesn't exactly sound like a very fun date", Sly's smile growing wider as he spoke.

"Well, we might be able to skip that part and take a nice moonlit walk to your new jail cell, and while we're at it you can tell me where the Hortensia Diamond is so I can return it to Holland", at this point Carmelita was taking slow steps toward Sly and reaching for her cuffs with her left hand.

"awww, and I was going to have it made into such a pretty ring for you as a present", Sly said with a final smile and a wink, "But I guess that will have to take a rain check". With that Sly sprung backwards out the window and over the fire escape seconds before Carmelita let loose with her shock pistol. Sly landed like a cat on the hood of a truck below. As soon as his feet hit the hood Sly began bolting across the parking lot. He had about one hundred yards to cover until he got to the van.

"Sly?" said Bentley frantically in the van, "What was that noise and why did you do a backflip out of the window?"

"We've got to get out of here even faster than expected Bentley, tell Murray to warm up the van and punch it as soon as I'm in", said Sly hurriedly.

"Freeze, Ringtail!" yelled Carmelita from the fire escape, "I won't rest until you and your gang are behind bars", she said as she began unloading with the shock pistol. Sly sprinted across the parking lot, taking cover when needed. There were a few close calls where a few close calls where Sly had to dive under a couple Jeeps.

"I'm almost in Bentley", Sly said as he made his sprint to the blue van with his trademark calling card painted on the back door, a masked raccoon's face. Sly jumped in the back and hollered "Hit it, Murray!".

"You got it chum", and Murray slammed on the gas as Carmelita continued to fire off rounds and shout that she would bring the Cooper Gang into custody.

Sly had to just sit in the back and enjoy the moment for a while. He finally had the clues he needed to avenge his father and reclaim all that had been taken from him. His tail was twitching and his heart was racing. This was his moment. This was his fight. This was what he had been waiting for his entire life

"Hey Sly", Bentley said, breaking Sly out of his trance-like state, "Where are we heading to first?". Sly opened up the book and looked at the first entry.

"The Northeast Atlantic", Sly said intensely, "not too far Northwest of England".

"Awesome" shouted Murray, "Can we get some fish and chips while we're there, and what about the doughnuts?".

"We can stop at" a bakery once we're out of France buddy", Sly laughed, "Cops will be hot on our trail for a bit, and when we're done with business you can have all the fish and chips you can stomach". He may have been joking, but this was going to be the most serious string of jobs Sly had ever taken on in his life. This wasn't just for him, it wasn't even just for his father, it was for every thief that had been proud to claim the name Cooper and been honored to hold a cane.

So now it was off to England and into the ocean. Sly was ready to fight anyone and anything, and maybe snag some loot from these notorious criminals while he was at it. Although, now that Sly was so close, he couldn't help but reflect on how it all began…..

As always reviews are welcomed and desired. Thank you to those that reviewed the intro, much appreciated. Beginning chapter 2


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It all started when I was a little kid, maybe around the age of five, just old enough to be aware of the events happening around me, bouncing and listening to stories on my father's knee. I was raised on the stories and exploits of my ancestors, acts of valor and daring heists worth millions. Nowadays I don't think I could even recall three stories about my ancestors.

My dad was a thief like his father before him and his father's father before him and the rest of the Cooper clan. He was the best of his time, stealing gems, legendary pieces of art, and robbing banks on a near day to day basis. He, like my ancestors before him, all inherited the same family heirloom, the Thievious Raccoonus.

The Thievious Raccoonus is a collection of my family's greatest thief maneuvers, well, was. Anyone who read its pages learned the ways of being exceptionally sneaky, which is why we specialize in stealing from criminals, getting past their security, stealing their priceless stolen loot, and letting them take the fall with the police.

It all started one quiet night when I was supposed to inherit the book. Five strangers showed up unannounced at our door. My parents had ushered me into the closet while they tried to fight them off. To my dismay, in such close quarters and outnumbered, they were eventually overpowered and killed in front of my eyes while I watched helplessly from the closet. I had to stand there trembling as the five strangers ransacked the house until they ripped a painting off the wall to reveal a safe. Through brute force they ripped open the safe to reveal my family's prized possession, The Thievious Raccoonus.

I had dropped to my knees, tears in my eyes, as the five strangers I later identified as the fiendish five took the book, opened it, and ripped it into five pieces, each disappearing to the corners of the earth to commit masterful crimes. I just stayed there for what seemed like hours until the police arrived. All they could officially say was that my father, a world wanted thief, was murdered, and a child without a family or home was found in the house. As the son of a thief, I wasn't exactly on the grid. I wasn't born in a hospital. I had no official family, no birth record, nowhere to go. So that's also the night I got dumped in the local orphanage, the Happy Camper orphanage ran by a woman, a mean one I might add, named Ms. Puffin.

For the first couple of weeks I was a wreck. I barely ate, slept, or talked. I just existed in a daze of misery and shock. By the time I came out of my little world of pain I was really alone. Everybody thought I was the weird little kid that lost his home. Well, everyone except for two people. The only good things about Happy Camper were my two best friends Bentley and Murray.

Bentley was a genius from birth, spouting off plans and schematics like most kids recite their alphabet, like it was no big deal. He was, and still is, extremely paranoid but when things get hairy he sticks by his friends. Now he double's as our team's strategist and demolition expert. I can't even count how many times his quick thinking has saved us from disaster.

Murray was our little enforcer at the orphanage. Murray was one of the nicest guys you'd ever meet, and the hungriest, but if you made him mad he'd make your head roll. Murray isn't exactly the smartest guy in the world to say the least but he'll stand by his friends against any odds. He's also the driver for the team getaway van. I'm not sure if he's truly fearless or he just doesn't have the sense to be afraid, but his sometime maniac driving has definitely saved us from getting caught on more than one occasion.

The three of us were like family, like brothers. As kids we bonded over stealing cookies from Ms. Puffin. Bentley would make the plan, I'd steal the cookies, and Murray would pull the getaway wagon. We slowly worked our way up to bigger heists. It started with the cookies, then it progressed into change left on tables and counters, then wallets, then watches. It was when Murray had learned to drive and we had enough stolen money saved up to make our getaway van that I suggested we run away and never look back. They didn't hesitate a second, just like that, we were a gang on our own, but more importantly, we were a family.

We made score after score. We stole from world renowned criminals and I always left my little calling card, a paper cutout of our logo, the blue raccoon mask. Cash, gems, art, antiques, you name it, and we've stolen it. But even with all of this great turn of events in a very dark time, I couldn't get rid of the hatred I had for those five strangers, their faces completely faded from memory at this point, I couldn't get rid of the feeling of helplessness I felt while watching my parents die, and most of all, I couldn't get rid of the sadness. The guys could always tell when I was down and they started talking to me during dinner one night.

"Sly", started Bentley, putting down his fork by his pasta, "We know you're not okay". Bentley was never the best at bringing a topic up gently.

"Guys, don't worry about me, I'm really fine", I lied as I tried to fake a smile.

"Sly don't do that, we're not just a gang, we're friends", Bentley continued, "We have to help each other when we need it, because if we don't, nobody will".

"That's right", Murray added in, "We're all part of something awesome, like the parts of a banana split!".

I had to start laughing at that, my friends always made me feel better, "Okay guys I'll tell you", I conceded and started to spill my guts, "I've been thinking a lot about my father and the group that killed him. I can't let it go, I need to get a little revenge and get my family's book back", I could barely look them in the eyes, "but I know I can't do it on my own and it's not fair to ask you to fight my battles and my demons". There was a long moment of silence, other than Murray slurping up his pasta noodles.

"Sly", Bentley began slowly, "you really are thick headed sometimes", I looked at him confused, "I'll say it again, we're your friends, your fights are our fights, your demons are our demons, and vice versa".

"That's right Sly", Murray said, putting down his fork, a rare occurrence to say the very least, "We'll fight by your side until we either win or can't fight anymore". I sat there and looked at my friends with a huge smile on my face.

"Thanks guys, but I don't even know where to start looking for any of them", I admitted.

"Not to worry", piped up Bentley, "I took the liberty of cross referencing the internet with the police database to find some credible leads, and I do believe I've found a lead", he paused for a second and smiled, "We're not letting you face this alone, old friend". Murray slurped his approval by smiling while he scarfed down his pasta.

"You guys are amazing", I finished. That's what brought us to the Paris police station, and that's what is bringing us to England.

I realize this chapter was slow, next chapter will be more exciting i believe. We shall see a heist while Sly studies up on his first target.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The gang decided to stay in London while they planned their next move. Bentley had come to the conclusion that they needed some more cash to secure a boat for the voyage into the Atlantic. Apparently they'd ran low after making modifications to the van, setting up their Paris hideout, and getting their way into London. So Bentley did a little digging in the online black market and found a man willing to pay hundreds of thousands for the real Sword of State that was held in the British museum.

"Sly, I'm going to run the scenario by you again, I don't think you understood the first time", Bentley said confused, wearing his favorite red bow tie, "the only quick option we have right now is to break into the British Museum, the most secure building in England barring the royal palace. We can break in and try to steal the Sword of State or we can do smaller jobs, lay low, and get the money over time". They were talking in a decent hotel room that would be there base of operations until they could get a boat to take into the Atlantic.

"Bentley" Sly responded with a smile, his chin resting on his cane as he sat on the bed, "I know the odds, buddy, but I can't sit here when I know one of my father's murderers is a boat ride away, I'm losing my mind sitting here as it is". Sly was getting twitchy, tightening and loosening his grip on his cane while he messed with his hat and collar and his tail twitched.

"Fine", Bentley sighed, "we're going to have to stake out the museum then, observe the security, map out the guard routes, and determine the optimal entrance point".

"Awesome!", hollered Murray, rummaging through his bags for a snack while wearing his favorite light blue shirt that was just a bit too small for him, his white shoes, and his black goggles, "does this mean I get to peel out real fast? Ohhhh, that makes me think of a really nice banana split", said Murray dreamily.

"Yeah buddy", Sly laughed, "You get to peel out as fast as your heart desires and afterwards you can down as many banana splits as you can stomach".

"Fine then", Bentley continued, "You'd better head to the museum and get some intel on the sword, and here", Bentley said, handing Sly the case file, "You might want to do a little studying on our first target, his name is Raleigh".

"Raleigh", Sly said aloud and taking the case file, "I'll remember that, I'll take a little rooftop stroll to the museum now, I'll show you what I see with the binocucom". With that Sly was out the window of their second story room, ascending the pipelines along the wall, and on the roof of the four story hotel in a matter of seconds.

"Bentley", Murray said slowly, "What's on your mind? You haven't seemed yourself lately".

"I'm worried about Sly", Bentley admitted, "I've never seen him so intense. I understand the Fiendish Five put him through a lot, but he's obsessed with this job already".

"Come on buddy", Murray exclaimed, "This is Sly we're talking about", after saying that Murray started to raid the hotel fridge for something tasty to eat.

"I know", Bentley said quietly to himself, "That's exactly what worries me".

The sun was fairly set when Sly sat down on the neighboring rooftop across from the British museum. The museum was nearly about to close and then his stakeout could begin. Until then he decided to do a little reading on Raleigh. He opened up the case file and the first collection of papers, held together by a clip was on Raleigh. He took the papers out and laid the rest of the file down by his side. Best not to take in too much at once, Sly thought, and then he started reading.

Raleigh Alexander Wyndham, AKA Sir Raleigh the Frog. Born into a family of British aristocrats, Raleigh enjoyed a life of wealth, ease, and class. In his youth, Raleigh tried to find something that not only appealed to him, but enthralled him. The sports of croquet and horseback riding did nothing for him, nor did the activities of antique or art collecting. After a chance encounter with a book entitled The Wonders of Machines, Raleigh took up the hobby of building machines. It was the first thing that intrigued him, knowing the process by which things were built and how they carried out their functions.

Raleigh's increasingly vast intellect thrived with this new stimulant, which made it even more devastating to him when his family turned their noses up at his work. They claimed that engineering was the work of commoners and an aristocrat had no place being one of them. They told Raleigh if he wanted to be a common tinkerer the he would do it without their blessing and the credibility of the family name. That's exactly what he did. Raleigh not only earned the reputation as the greatest engineer of his generation but used his inventions to commit crimes around the world. His exceptional skills as an engineer have earned him the position of chief machinist in the Fiendish Five

Latest reports spot him on an uninhabited island off the Northwest coast of England. This island has been given the nickname the Isle of Wrath due to the fact that it is constantly plagued by bad weather, causing shipwrecks and preventing police forces to approach the island to investigate. After the vessels are salvaged there are no traces of any valuables that had been on board previous to the wreck. It is currently unknown if Sir Raleigh is responsible for the looting or if he is somehow connected to the perilous weather surrounding the island.

Any officers assigned to the capture of this criminal should proceed with extreme caution. Raleigh is ruthless and his machines reflect not only his mechanical prowess but his cutthroat nature. Raleigh is wanted for the theft of millions in stolen goods and the murders of various people, civilian and law enforcement alike. Few have been able to get close to Sir Raleigh, most falling victim to either his dangerous machines or equally dangerous hired thugs.

There was still plenty on Raleigh to be read but that would have to wait for another time, the British museum had just closed its doors and it was time for the stakeout to begin. Sly maneuvered his way around the museum silently, making note of the guard positions, looking through the binocucom to observe the infrared security system, and establishing the location of the target at hand, the Sword of State, encased in a rectangular glass case so you could lean over it and observe the sword.

"Hey Bentley", said Sly into the binocucom, "You getting all of this?"

"Clear as day", answered Bentley, "and I'm hacking into the museum security mainframe in order to establish where the motion sensors are located".

"Always thinking Bentley", Sly responded happily, "that's why you're the turtle with the plan, any idea how soon we'll be able to pull the job off?"

"To be quite honest, with your skills and the intel we have at the moment, if you want to pull the job off tomorrow night we can, you just have to finish mapping the guard routines".

"Now that is some great news Bentley", Sly said with a wide grin, "We'll be hitting the sea in no time, Raleigh won't know what's hitting him, and I'll be collecting what's been stolen from me".

"I know you're revved up Sly but make sure your mind is still on the task at hand", Bentley said, concerned, "breaking into the British museum and stealing a priceless sword isn't exactly a day in the park".

Sly sighed, "I know buddy, it's just everything is so close now. Years of being left in the dark and I finally have a chance to settle the score. I've never had a bigger adrenaline rush in my life".

"Yeah, but too much adrenaline can make you clumsy and rash. It can get you caught", Bentley paused, "or worse".

"Bentley", Sly said more soberly, "I know you're worried, thank you for that, and for all of this while I'm at it. You and Murray are good friends and I appreciate what you're doing for me, but I can't help getting fired up. Hey, the night's almost up, I'm coming back to the hotel and we'll put the final touches on the plan, okay?"

"Okay, Sly", Bentley replied. Sly made his way back to the hotel and slipped through the window in typical thief fashion. Bentley was clicking away at his laptop on one of the three beds and Murray was chowing down on a bag of chips on another.

"Okay Bentley", Sly said, swaggering in, "tell me the good news", and with that he took a seat on the bed closest to the window next to Murray's.

"Using a centrifugal arithmetic algorithm I was able to determine the location of the motion sensors throughout the museum", Bentley explained, "unfortunately I can't find the codes to completely shut down the security system without tripping alarms within the security mainframe, so the best I can do is silence the alarms long enough for you to lift the glass off the sword and get out of there".

"That's all I need", Sly said. After that it was established that Sly would make his way through a skylight near the rear of the museum, maneuver his way around security, and swipe the sword after Bentley disarms the security.

"Remember Sly", said Murray with a mouthful of potato chips, "we'll be on the other side of the street ready to go in the getaway van".

"And", added Bentley, "We'll head straight to the rendezvous I've set up with our buyer. I've negotiated with him and he easily agreed to cut out the middle man. We're going to meet him at the pier and he'll provide us with a boat capable of getting us to the Isle of Wrath and a still substantial cash payment".

"Perfect", Sly grinned, "well, I guess the only thing left to do is get some sleep and wait to pull off the heist". With that the gang went to sleep. Well, Murray did while Sly lied awake, anxious to be on his way to Raleigh's hideout, and Bentley lied awake, running scenarios through his head and unable to shake that Sly still wasn't himself and that something was going to go wrong. Bentley didn't know why he was so nervous, it was something intangible he heard in Sly's voice and saw in his motions. He just had to wait and hope that everything went off without a hitch.

After seeing the length of this chapter I opted to make the actual heist to be part of chapter 4. As always, reviews are appreciated.


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